French Meadow Bakery & Cafe
1662 Grand Ave S, St. Paul, MN, 55105
French Meadow Bakery & Cafe Menu
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Address :
1662 Grand Ave S
St. Paul, MN, 55105 - Phone (651) 789-8870
- Website https://frenchmeadowcafe.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :7:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Breakfast
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Loud
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Jen A.
Stopped in a couple of months ago and got some soup to go. It was the saltiest soup I have ever had in my life. I could smell the salt before I even opened the container. Won't be going back.
(1)Sarah L.
Just went to the new French Meadow Café for the first time tonight. The service was atrocious. All we wanted was dessert. It took about 40 minutes to get it and they were out of many items on the menu. Don't eat here unless you're willing to wait a long, long time for your food.
(1)Joanne H.
I've been looking forward to the opening of the St. Paul location. I stopped in today to get a breakfast burrito to go and to look around.The baristas at the front counter and the dining room host and hostess were very friendly and helpful. The setting is different than Uptown. There is a quite small area at the front that is more coffee-shop-like. It has bakery case that's smaller than Uptown's and a drink menu board. Slightly further back is restaurant seating, where they have paper menus and servers (a la Bluestem in Uptown). The decor of the dining room looks beautiful. I'm anxious to dine in sometime. On-street parking can be a challenge, but there is a lot across the street. I'm not pointing out differences from Uptown because they're bad -- it's just a little different than the French Meadow Cafe that people might be used to. It's a new location with its own personality and, from what I saw, a good one! The burrito turned out to be every bit as yummy as when I've had it at the Uptown location. I will be back!
(5)Chris D.
Slow service, luke warm food. Salty granola. Nothing like the great Minneapolis location
(2)Brad B.
today was my 3rd time at this location. Each time I have said I would give it another chance. I would really like this location to be successful but I won't be returning and will make the trip to uptown instead. My biggest issue here is the staff. It seems chaotic and like no one knows what they are supposed to be doing. Today at breakfast we had to ask for silverware and napkins multiple times. One of our dishes was supposed to come with fruit and 3 different people had to verify that and when they finally brought it out there were 3 strawberries in a bowl next to the original waffle that was now cold. We sat and watched the girl behind the counter count the tip jar when she could have been helping customers. On a positive note, my breakfast burrito had great flavor, although the cheese inside it was not melted. I really hope they can fix these issues, because right now it is an unorganized mess.
(2)Rowena N.
I wish I could have given a better review since I love my uptown version so much. But I can't say the two are even close. Food: My friends and I agree that the food are somewhat different between the FM in uptown vs St. Paul. It's as if they have not gotten the recipe down yet. She got the turkey burger, I got a rachel (Turkey sandwich with sauerkraut and coleslaw). Other friend got the Zen salad. The Zen Salad was good but somehow the two places use somewhat different ingredients. She still liked it, so nothing to say there. Both my friend and I agreed the turkey burger and Rachel taste somewhat different. I get the Rachel almost all the time because I love that sandwich to death. I usually order it with extra sauerkraut, and with the side of hand cut organic fries. I don't like their cumin ketchup so I always ask for the regular ketchup. They first gave my friend (who ordered a turkey burger with side of greens) her burger with a side of cumin ketchup which we thought was a bit odd. Then came with my sandwich with the wrong ketchup. Just as I tried my first fry with the ketchup, the waitress runs back to our table and told me that somehow the kitchen staff read the ticket wrong, and instead gave me cumin ketchup on the side, extra cumin ketchup in my sandwich, and no, no extra sauerkraut. She asked to replace my sandwich, i happily agreed and reminded her, I want my damn extra sauerkraut. She was nice enough to give me the fries to eat so I don't end up watching my friends scarf their food for the next 10 minutes. 10 minutes later, my sandwich comes with regular ketchup on the side (finally) and no extra sauerkraut. Sigh. I was too hungry at that point to care. Rachel was more dry and not seasoned enough. My first batch of fries were awesome. My second batch of fries were so salted that my lips and tongue shriveled. Dessert: My main gripe with this place is the dessert. I mean it is a Bakery and Cafe. Yet, this second time I came here there were maybe 8 choices of desserts (4 cakes, 3 brownies, a bitesize cupcake). I was sorely disappointed given we didn't even come that late?! (7PM). Uptown FM always have a well stocked counter of desserts. I don't know if this FM just receive morning shipments from the other, and never replenish throughout the day. But, a bakery/cafe without dessert? Heart broken, Service: I appreciated that our waitress ran back to correct my sandwich before I even took a bite of it. I wish the kitchen would have gotten the order right first (and second) time. We sat there for good 45 minutes to an hour (i.e., after we ordered up to after we finished out food) and no one ever came to refill our water. We awkwardly tried to flag someone down, and was shot down. I was so parched (especially after my salty fries), I was literally about to get up and refill the water myself. Overall, I would choose the uptown FM without any hesitation. Food and service can not compare. The only reason I would return is if my friends outvoted me to eat here. Bring a full sized water bottle.
(3)Erin S.
Great happy hour! We didn't try the food, but the menu looked awesome & the craft beer selection is wonderful. Josh was incredibly friendly and welcoming. Would definitely go back!
(5)Roxanne E.
I want to love this place. I really do. But so far, I just can't. I live in the neighborhood I would gladly be a frequent customer if the place felt friendly and welcoming. I tried to stop in for a cup of coffee and a scone to go last Sunday. I waited in line for more than 10 minutes with no sign of the people at the front of the line making a decision about whatever it was they couldn't decide about. So, I left. I gave it a try again this morning. I decided to stop in for breakfast after a morning meeting. It was just ok. The server was nice enough. I had a corn waffle. It wasn't good or bad. It wasn't anything special. It was dry but the bananas and the thimble of syrup helped. I may be spoiled by Maria's corn pancakes. I think my biggest issue is with the atmosphere. It's just not welcoming or warm. This could be a staff training issue. Or it could be that my expectations of a neighborhood cafe is out of sync with the French Meadow brand. This is not the kind of neighborhood place where you go to meet friends for breakfast or lunch and linger over a cup of coffee. Not at all. I will go again later this summer to check my perceptions. But if it remains the same, I will not be going back.
(2)Lindsey S.
The only thing this place has going for it is the location and decor. It doesn't deserve the French Meadow name. The service was so bad, I felt like I was in the twilight zone at the coffee counter. I first tried ordering there since I was by myself. CLUELESS help, so I opted for a full service table. The service was ok, but somewhat unprofessional. The menu was dirty and tattered... I'm not even a germ freak, but eww gross! The brussle spouts had good flavor, but where extremely undercooked. The turkey burger was dry and tasteless. My bill was over $20, which if the food was even marginal I would be ok with, but it was bad, and I'm not a food snob! I wish I could get back my time and money. I was in there way longer then I should have been. I will not be going back for a second try, it was that bad, and they have been open for way to long to be operating like this.
(1)C T.
Slooooooow service. Slow in restaurant. Very slooooow in bar. Undercooked chicken wings (good seasoning). Cold pork belly special. Waitress did the best she could and was a very nice person........ Opened 3 weeks ago. Growing pains?
(2)Jeff C.
I was sad to see the coffee shop that occupied this building go, but French Meadow did an awesome job remodeling the location. I've been in here twice and both times the wait staff has been very warm and friendly. The BBQ pork sandwich is the bomb! Great coffee too.
(4)Wendy H.
This was my first visit to the St Paul location on Grand Ave. I've always liked the Lyndale location, but was not as satisfied with St Paul's. I ordered the California Wrap. There was very minimal turkey in the wrap, and a lot of lettuce. While the flavors of the guacamole & roasted tomatoes, also in the wrap, were very good, I felt like I ordered a lettuce wrap vs a turkey wrap. For $9.50, I expected more turkey for a better balance of ingredients rather than 90% lettuce. I will give it a 2nd chance at some point in the hopes that I just caught the cook on an off day.
(2)Kade K.
I have been to French Meadow twice, both times around 7:30 am. Once was on a Sunday and the other time was on a Friday. There is free street parking out front if you can find a spot. I hadn't had any trouble finding room,but I imagine it would be more difficult at certain times of day. The restaurant was mostly empty on both occasions and it was easy to find a table for a group of six. If you google "rustic chic" you'll get a good idea of what to expect as far as decor goes: exposed brick walls, solid wood tables and "fairy lights" (or what I would call "Christmas lights") wrapped around tree branches. Both times I went I ordered the "Zone" Omelette. Since I am a huge fan of sourdough (and also because I am NOT A RABBIT HAHA), I ordered that instead of the organic sprouted toast. Both times the eggs were made a little runny. If that is a problem for you (for example if you are an infant, or pregnant with an infant or if you have not been an infant in over 55 years), you should probably order your omelette well-done. I really enjoyed the flavor of the omelette, but it tastes very strongly of goat cheese. The toast is one small slice, but the side of "mixed greens" is a fairly large salad, served with dressing. The other folks who dined with me ordered the Blueberry Corn Pancake, Organic French Toast, and the Eggs & Smoked Salmon. The corn pancake is literally one large pancake (maybe about 9 inches across), and no side dishes. The French Toast also does not come with sides, but it four triangle slices (or two actual slices of a loaf, halved), and each slice is about 1/2 and inch thick. The french toast is drizzled in rum sauce and has fresh sliced bananas (or possibly rotating seasonal fruit?) on top. I tried the french toast, and not the pancake or salmon. The french toast was a bit dry (as if the batter didn't soak all the way into the bread) and it tasted pretty strongly of bananas. I probably wouldn't order that in the future, nor would the person who ordered it. Finally, I ordered a Lavender Earl Grey tea on my initial visit, and an iced latte the second time. Honestly the tea didn't taste anything like lavender, so that was disappointing. I wouldn't have ordered it if I knew it was just plain Earl Grey. The Iced latte was pretty good, though.
(4)Vivian P.
My first time going here today .. And I wasn't so impressed Nice atmosphere but horrible service It was brunch time and I hate feeling like I'm being rushed by the waiter ..but the food was OKAYi order quesadillas Which had.. Eggs..spinach ..cheese..beans...and on the side was guac .. I also ordered blueberry iced tea.. HORRIBLE it was super busy but the waiter only came by once and the second time I got asked if I was ready to take my food to go?? Without asking if I would like a refill of my water ?? I was in shocked and I literally just laughed and shake my head .. I don't think I'll be coming here again I didn't bother looking into their bakery stuff
(1)Kirsten H.
I logged on to Yelp to see if it was just my bad luck. Like other reviewers, I've had great experiences at the original location over the years. I was excited to see a new location in my neighborhood. I've been five times since it opened, and I'm done. There are better options on the same block, and a dozen within a couple miles. Service has been spotty here (my first visit included a 45-minute wait to get a cup of coffee), but now the food seems to be going downhill. Today's salad looked like it was made two days ago. My companion's fries were grey. I can hardly believe the kitchen sent them out.
(2)Jennifer S.
More accurately, 1.5 stars. Tonight, I tried this place for dinner, once again, after receiving a message in July from their manager apologizing for my experience on their patio in late June. On 8/11/15, the corporate office emailed me a coupon redeemable for one complimentary dessert or beverage of my choice. The coupon expires on 8/25/15. Once our server came to greet us, my dining companion and I each asked for a taste of 2 different wines, each. A short time later, they were delivered and identified by the server. A few minutes later, she returned and we each ordered a glass of our respective choices as well as a main entree. A while later, the plates were delivered by a different server, and the glasses of wine were delivered by our original server. I tried my glass of wine and exclaimed, "Am I confused?" because it did not taste like the wine I had tasted earlier and ordered. My dining companion sniffed his glass of wine and found that, in fact, the glasses had been mis-delivered. Next, I tried my "special seasonal risotto". It was luke warm. Minutes later, when our server returned to check on us and ask whether everything was ok, I shook my head and said "no". I told her that the risotto was luke warm and that I wished for another serving of it served piping hot - not that specific entree "warmed up". She agreed and removed my plate. Just a few minutes later, a different server brought me a piping hot fresh entree - only this time, it was missing one of the advertised ingredients (fresh peas). I ate it as is. And it was good, despite the absence of peas. Once the bill was delivered and I presented my coupon, the bill was re-calculated to deduct the (lesser) cost of my dining companion's glass of wine instead of my (pricier) glass of wine. It really wasn't all that surprising. I can't believe I'm the only person going to this place who's experiences continue to be sub-par, and I hope that more people speak up when they receive sub-par service and/or food. Something's gotta kick this place into gear! Great food and excellent service matter, dammit!
(2)Jay B.
Don't get the gluten free fig scone. Weird texture, I want to say it's like a mouth full of flour, I hope the breakfast is better. Second strike out. Eggs cold, hash browns cold and a weird droplet of what looks like cheese on my dish, my order didn't include cheese. They were quick to replace the dish, maybe three minutes.
(2)Ariel Z.
We came in at 9:30 AM on a Saturday and there was a 10 minute wait. The food wasn't bad (I had the Cajun hashbrowns), but not exactly memorable. The service was well-meaning but very erratic. Our server was sweet, but it took forever to get our orders in, and then she got my order wrong (I asked for chorizo, but got bacon). My dining partners said their meals were just meh. Our coffees (cappuccino, mocha, americano) took longer than our meals to come out, but I can understand that - it's also a bakery/cafe as well as a sit-in restaurant, so I imagine they get a lot of coffee shop orders to handle as well. To clarify - coffees came out before we were able to order food, but the waiting time for drinks was much longer than the subsequent wait for food. The parking lot across the street is shared with Patagonia and is quite small; there is some street parking in the area. Not sure I'd recommend it, but we were just passing through so I don't know how it compares to other brunch spots in the area.
(2)Andrea R.
Proceed with caution: smug advisory is high in this place. The hostess was not friendly or welcoming AT ALL and most of the other wait staff looked absolutely miserable, which did not make for the most friendly or welcoming atmosphere. The target demographic of this place appears to be ladies who lunch and rich college girls. I always wondered where the Whole Foods crowd eats; this is their lair. At least the decor is cute and the bar looked nice. I ordered a tuna melt (not great) with the mixed greens (delicious and a good portion) on the side. My husband had a California wrap (gross) that had iceberg lettuce in it (really?) and a side of coleslaw (yum). We shared a coconut macaroon that tasted like paste with carob. I want to like this place, but the food and service didn't live up to the hype.
(2)Erin G.
I just came in for my sweet tooth. The bakery selection looked amazing so as always I asked for help. I couldn't decide between the peanut butter brownie or the salted caramel bar. I ended up choosing the salted caramel bar. It was good. I want to come back for their breakfast or their salads- the menu looks amazing.
(3)Beth B.
First time eating here; came for an early dinner with our 3 kids and sat on the patio - which is awesome. I know many people don't review a restaurant on its kids menu, but seriously - it sucks. A restaurant that has so many organic and vegetable options and the best you can do is grilled cheese, Mac and cheese and pancakes for kids? With a side of salad? Not ONE option even has protein. And buttered noodles for $6? You've got to be kidding me. We ordered other stuff off the main menu instead, but not impressed with taste or portion size for the price. Meh.
(3)James A.
Went here for breakfast yesterday morning for the first time and it was great! The restaurant is huge and clean and very pretty. I got the breakfast burrito and it was great! Our food came quick even when it was busy! They have a great setup. I will definitely return!
(4)Meghan F.
Been for breakfast multiple times. Huge berry pancakes, smoked salmon eggs, bfast quesadilla, almond milk latte - all been fabulous. Have only visited once for dinner, and the tempeh rueben is a fabulous idea but didn't have a ton of flavor.
(5)Jen W.
I've been to the Lyndale Ave location roughly a zillion times and have always had fantastic experiences. I've even been to a few airport locations and been pretty satisfied. But the new St. Paul location? Oh boy. If you like terrible food (though flavorless curry is certainly an achievement, I'm not sure it's a good one) meted out slowly over the course of hours while sitting in a musty room that is hotter than a two-peckered billy goat, this might be your place. But me? I like my rice cooked and not crunchy, my tofu fresh and not fried 2 days ago, curry with a little kick and getting the wine I actually ordered. The waitress did offer to split the check among 3 of us which was nice.
(2)Joshua G.
Kind of surprised this place is rated significantly below the Minneapolis location. Good coffee, but that's all I ever go here for. Had no service problems. Minor thing: last time I was there, I was stuck up front (that's the only place they had an outlet, which I needed) and the a/c wasn't enough to keep the area by the front windows cool (it was a hot day). Also, seating by the window is on backless chairs, which is fine for a quick coffee, but it's a thing that more looks nice than actually is something I would want to sit on. Yes, parking on this stretch of Grand Ave is not great, and the parking lot across the street is small and may be filled, but that's Grand Ave, AND you can usually park half a block down and around the corner even in the middle of winter.
(4)Sean K.
Addendum: watch out for your knees and your head if you sit at the artsy metal tables in the front! While beautiful, the bar under the table is right at knee height, making it very difficult to sit right. And the stools must weight over 40 pounds of solid metal each, making them a bit tricky to slide back in order to stand up. And when you do stand up, there is a low hanging drum light you bump your head on. Woody Allen would love it as the set for an awkward date scene in a movie. All very pretty, but not a comfortable experience! --- While the food is good and the decor is pleasant to look at, this French Meadow disappoints in the experience of dining there. The waitstaff and hostess were pleasant but either not very experienced or helpful. The waitress forgot to bring small extras that were requested and didn't check back with us until nearly the end of the meal. When we asked the seating hostess who we could talk to about a complaint she at first didn't know, then said we could talk to her. She offered no solution and really didn't seem to know what to do. We felt like our feedback was wasted when she lamely replied "well, I'll tell my manager about it," giving us no feeling of confidence that she actually would.
(2)Brian B.
I've been here 3 times so I think this is a fair review. I'll start with the good, the ambiance is amazing. A beautiful interior in a beautiful college neighborhood. Now for the bad. Each and every time we end up waiting forever for our server to greet us, and I watched every other table do the same. In fact, I saw at least 4 tables consider leaving before being greeted, one actually did. Needless to say, they are consistently understaffed. Secondly, the bathrooms were not working during this most recent visit, which they did tell us before placing our name on the wait list. But that meant that we had to sneak into Shish next door (which you should all do, a much better experience) twice. The coffee is sub par, despite it looking like a place that would master coffee. A lot of the food is bland, some is good, but I would say we have liked only 50% of what we've eaten here? Our hashbrowns came out burnt to a crisp on this most recent visit for instance, good luck trying to flag the server down. And lastly, my wife has a nut allergy so she asked if the server could "sub" blueberries for the walnuts. He told us that wouldn't be a problem. Of course it wasn't a problem because we noticed on our bill that he charged us $2.00 for the privilege (with no warning, despite walnuts being way more expensive). Since we were constantly waiting 10 minutes to even see our server, we shorted them $2.00 with a note to the manager. TL:DR This place is all ambiance and marketing, with mediocre food and long waits for service consistently. Go to Shish next door!
(1)Amanda A.
If you go in my past reviews, you'll find a glowing, 5 star review of the French Meadow in Uptown. Which I still love. However, when visiting Minnesota this past week, I had the misfortune of deciding to go to this location in St. Paul. I was really excited to bring my two sisters from out of town here, since they had heard me rave about it. First off, the service was awful. We got a waiter who evidently was new, and he took 30 minutes to take our order. Didn't check on once we got our food, and we had to flag down other people. Someone else came up and apologized for him, and said to "cut him some slack." Ummm how about you get someone to help him out since he clearly shouldn't be on the floor himself? I don't think it's the customers responsibility to help this slowpoke out. Anyway, the food was also dismal. They clearly refrigerated their day (or two) old cakes and cupcakes, which were stale, dry and tasted like crap. The soup was full of orange grease (how is there orange grease in wild rice soup?) and I was literally sick for two days after eating the mess that was their Cajun Hashbrowns. Anywho, I don't think I'll ever go back to either location, as I dropped 5 pounds from eating there, but if you do go - DO NOT GO TO THE ST. PAUL LOCATION. Stay far, far away and stick to the uptown locale only.
(1)Hatty I.
I've been going to French Meadow since before this location was open and I always used to like it, but lately, the more I go, the less impressed I am. Last night, for example, I stopped in an hour and a half before close and ordered a sandwich to go. After a wait that was on the long side, especially considering the place was dead, I was handed my order and told they were sorry it took so long, but the kitchen was half shut down. Um, what? You guys don't close for over an hour. No one wants to be that jerk who comes in ten minutes before close, but do not even try to guilt me for ordering food from you when you've got that long to go before you can lock the door. I was really hungry, so I started eating in the car. The fries were literally completely unsalted and also they must have changed their fries because they used to be good but now they're those shitty frozen fries that hole-in-the-wall diners have. I mean, no offense to hole-in-the-wall diners, but for the absurdly high prices French Meadow charges I expect culinary excellence. Then I got to the burger. The bread was cold and dry. Obviously they didn't heat it up, which they have done every other of the zillion times I've ordered this burger, and is obviously necessary to keep the bread from tasting yucky. The dry coldness of the bread made the whole sandwich really difficult/unpleasant to eat. Also, the meat tasted like grill cleaner instead of meat and wasn't cooked anything like I ordered it. I get wanting to go home, people, but if the place is open, you gotta act like it. At least until you come down to that 30-minute-or-so grace period before closing, but I was WELL OUTSIDE of that. And when I pay seventeen damned dollars for a burger and fries, I expect to come out of the experience not wishing I'd just stayed hungry and saved my money.
(2)Ken W.
First off, French Meadow on Lyndale Ave is AMAZING!!!! French Meadow~St. Paul...Blah!! 10 minutes to get a cup coffee (1/2 full at that), reminded server twice we ordered cream and sugar with coffee, no spoons (they help with the stirring of the twice reminded cream and sugar) very undercooked bacon, grease soaked hash browns (also undercooked) and the service was very below par. Very poor experience and bad food! Will never return to this location.
(1)Courtney J.
My previous review still stands for the most part except that they seemed to have dealt with this issue of seating by adding table service to the mix. The majority of the place now has servers; it is only the front seats that seem to be cafe style. I've found myself with mixed feelings about the table service part. I don't mean to be all Goldilocks about it but I'm going to say this all anyway. During peak hours it's absolutely necessary to keep on top of the amount of seating available, however during off hours it's really not a server-required kind of a place. I went in there the other day to have a treat and drink some coffee but unless I wanted to sit at a high top table in the front, I had to choose to server area. My server was extremely congenial--it was nothing about her that put me off, but rather that I felt like I was taking up premium space when the cafe was mostly empty. No one wants to be that person who only orders coffee and a scone from a server, you know? Anyway, I am not dissuaded from going back but now I don't feel like I can have a quiet cup of coffee on my own. It'll be more of a choice of having a full meal with others vs. it being a "third place" for me.
(5)James G.
Walked in around 1:23pm and hung around waiting for someone to greet us by the stand that said please wait for hostess. Literally two kids working there chatting not bothering to turn around as we kindly say hello excuse me ? No answer. The bus boy was more concerned about cleaning a table when the place is half empty and customers waiting at the door. A server even walked by smiled and nothing. We left after 10 min waiting around. Too bad if the food is good because the service is SUPER BAD
(1)Sal K.
What I love: It's in St. Paul! Plenty of vegan items including dessert Vegan items are marked accordingly Service was absolutely perfect The interior is very pretty Cozy bar Near the 63 bus stop Parking lot across the street Patio (coming soon) Needs improvement: WAY too much salt in my entree Hopefully they just had an off night. I'm willing to give them many more chances. I'm SO happy to have this option close to home.
(4)Minh D.
I came to MN for Memorial Day weekend and a friend introduced me to French Meadow. They have very good gluten-free options and a great atmosphere! I had the cornmeal pancake one day and "the Zone" omelette a different day. They were both delicious.
(4)Amanda J.
The food is delicious! I had the fish tacos that were absolutely superb. Atmosphere is cozy and quite lovely. The only complaint is the wait time. The host told us it would be about 30 minutes so we sat at the bar until our table was ready. In less than 15 minutes we were already seated. I noticed the host continually gave customers higher wait times than the time in which tables were emptying. As someone who worked in the restaurant industry, I was disappointed so many customers left because of the outrageous wait time which were indeed exaggerated.
(4)Jessica T.
Bonjour Mon Ami, Friends wanted to try this place out and I ended up eating lunch 3 days in a row here the second week it opened. AH! I went back today and there are big changes and I like them! Then: seat yourself although it was packed and no where to sit. Now: Hostess, waitress Then: had to keep getting up for refills, salt. etc. (no big deal) Now: Wait staff does that for you. Negatives: I think the food and coffee drinks take too long to come out. Some food items are priced too high/now adding tip makes it more so. Veggie burger has great flavor, but is mashed potato consistency. yuck. Positives: Black bean and chicken quesadilla Grilled Rachel Classic Breakfast Large portions Nice bathroom BEST peanut butter cookie EVER BEST coconut chocolate macaroon EVER Voila!
(4)Ellie B.
Based on others' reviews, it seems like French Meadow got quite a few of the kinks out by the time I visited with family for dinner on a Saturday evening. They needed to get our table ready, so we ordered drinks at the bar. Only a few minutes after that, were we seated, so we had to close out the tab. Our server was so friendly and attentive! For appetizers we ordered the cheese plate and jerk chicken wings. I loved the cheese plate - the three cheeses provided a good variety and all of the little preserves and compotes were lovely complements. My husband loved the wings and had to restrain himself from eating them all. He also loved his main course, walleye and fingerling potatoes. My tempeh reuben was also fantastic. The firecracker slaw is a great addition to it and I didn't even mind the vegan cheese! I would have loved to stay for dessert but we had a derby bout to attend - our server was so great about getting us out in time. I would love to come back here again and try more things.
(4)Robynne C.
I loved Coffee News Cafe, which is what used to be in this space, and I really wanted to love the new French Meadow too. After two different sub-par experiences there, I won't be going back. I found the food to be fine, but the service sucked - especially our 2nd time there. It was my birthday and my wife called that morning to make a reservation, which they wouldn't take because it was the day of. That was ridiculous in and of itself, but then to add insult to injury when we arrived that night we waited for over 40 minutes to be seated with a group of 8 while there were plenty of empty tables that were supposedly reserved. We ended up being seated at one of them. It was in the direct line of a vent blasting arctic air at us, which we asked the server to turn down but nothing changed. The wait for our order to be taken and our food to arrive was verrrry long - strange for an almost empty restaurant. Our server did not check on us throughout the meal, and my request to have her keep an eye on my water was ignored - my glass was empty for basically the entire meal. Not ok, as I was 7 months pregnant at the time and super thirsty! I asked for a dessert menu, but it took so long that I didn't order anything because the dinner had already gone on for way too long and it just needed to end.
(1)Ken P.
This place sucks. I don't know how they stay in business. The food was basic and just ok. The people working there have an odd attitude given that they are located on a street in St. Paul right next to a college known for open mindedness and inclusion. Wait staff was just rude. I've been served much better food by much nicer and friendlier people in Paris. If it is a snotty French bistro that they are shooting for, they've even missed that mark. In addition to firing the wait staff and serving food worth the hopped up price, I strongly recommend you clean the bathroom before the health department shuts you down. I've also been in a public bathroom in a busy Paris train station that was cleaner and more functional than this. To say the least, we will not be back. Please don't go here. The quicker people stop going, the quicker this prime real estate can be used for something good. Just read the other reviews on Yelp. Something isn't clicking. You've received significant and very helpful feedback but you have demonstratively done nothing about it. One can only conclude that you just don't care. What a way to take up space.
(1)Victor C.
Nice local neighborhood spot. We went for dinner on a weeknight. The appetizer cheese plate was good. I had the veggie burger with fries, which was really good. The spa salad was also nice with a lot of fresh ingredients, and it seemed healthy. Portions are pretty big. Our waitress was very friendly and upbeat and had no problem taking us through the menu since it was our first time there. I would go back!
(4)Paige E.
So yummy! Breakfast burrito was good as was the Mediterranean wrap. Big portions, but a bit expensive.
(4)p a.
What a waste of time and money. Met a friend around 730 on a weeknight- we were both surprised that the lovely patio was deserted on one of the first nice warm nights of spring. Didn't take long to figure out. After waiting for service for ten minutes, our waiter brought us drinks in another 10 minutes- then kept pushing us to order food. When we wanted to order, was informed that he had been cut- obviously wanted a tip out of his sub par service. Next server- ten more minutes. We ordered the charcuterie plate- they were out- what? It's cold meats people! Ordered the cheese plate and a salad. Was asked if we wanted a bread basket- " it goes well with the cheese plate" well, DUH! Food delivered by another server- I asked for silverware, not delivered. Our server did check back- was good at 2nd round, but did not deliver requested extra bread. And, the final insult (can you tell I worked in restaurants for years)? was that when we requested our check- was delivered at lightening speed, as was our credit card payment. PS: our original server who was so anxious to leave, was getting tanked with his buddies in the bar. Lovely.
(1)Sarah L.
Finally got it right on my third visit. I ordered the burger and greens. Love the organic meat and the cheese and tomatoes were great. The greens were a perfect side. The beer list is awesome. The service was also super good tonight. They seem to be fine tuning some the menu which makes me happy cause I'd like them to stay around.
(4)JP T.
Really simple review: everything pales in comparison to the Uptown location. Food, service, decor. Don't even bother.
(1)Nadia A.
Disclaimer: this is my first time at any French Meadow, so I don't have any other baseline. My experience tonight was a positive one. I didn't go into it with any expectations and I was pleased with the food and service. To be fair, it wasn't extraordinary, but it's a solid option for a neighborhood cafe (I just moved into the neighborhood). I opted for the fish tacos and, for the price of $10, I really can't complain. The fish was fresh and well seasoned and it had a nice salad to go with it. I WILL say, however, that I wish my server had told me that the fish tacos came with a salad when I ordered a side salad to start. The starter side salad was underwhelming - simple greens and shredded carrots - and I could have gotten my foliage fix with the greens that came with the tacos (which were almost identical to the side salad). My partner had the lamb risotto and it was tasty. We skipped dessert so I can't comment on that, though I will say that their dessert case looks very enticing. (We were craving Izzy's and went there instead). The service was good; I have no complaints other than the salad issue. I also like the feel and decor of the place. Bottom line: I would go back for a simple, casual meal, but I would stick to entrees only. I wouldn't make this a go-to place for a dining experience, but could see myself going back for a weeknight meal close to home.
(3)S. B.
This restaurant describes itself as a bakery. When I ordered a bowl of soup, I asked if bread came with it. "Yes," was the reply. Imagine my surprise, then, when I received several pieces of dried out, sliced white bread on the side of the bowl. When I asked, the waitress said that soup does not normally come with bread at the French Meadow, but that they had decided to give me some pieces of sandwich bread. Umm, if you're a bakery, don't you have anything fresh?
(1)Alexandria M.
Today was the 3rd time that my husband and I have visited the Grand Ave Location. The service is horrible each time. We are almost never greeted and have to flag down the hostess or another staff member to receive any service, even if it is something minor like ordering dessert to go. The food is awful and never seasoned well. I can't understand how this location and the Minneapolis French Meadows are connected. There is absolutely no comparison! If you have the time, drive to Minneapolis you will receive better service and tastier food. Happy eating!!
(1)Stephen L.
I have been here a few times and i will continue to go back as the food is good. But the wait staff is a bit clueless. they are very slow and i am only talking about getting me coffee. But like i said the food has been good and the beer selection is good as well.
(3)Denise S.
Ate at FM St Paul location twice. First experience was pleasant. Got the zen salad and it was very tasty. Sat on patio. The server was quite charming. You might be wondering why only two stars? The second visit I stopped in to buy a piece of gluten free cake. I have to eat a strict gluten free diet, so I was really excited to see they had several GF dessert choices on the menu. I was waited on at the front counter. When I ordered the GF triple chocolate torte, the server seemed to have a hard time understanding which cake I was referencing. I probably said the words "gluten free" 3-4 times. She boxed my cake and I left. Imagine my disappointment later when I opened the box, and instead of the triple chocolate GF torte, there was some other, dry looking NOT gluten free cake waiting for me. The cakes weren't even similar in name or appearance. After reading these yelp reviews I just wonder if they have trouble getting consistent quality employees.
(2)Shane H.
Service is extremely slow and a vegan item had cheese in it. The staff claimed that's what happens when you cook tofu in canola oil (it's not). Just a bad experience all the way around.
(1)Annie P.
Not impressed. Male servier ignored us until we asked for some service. Wouldn't give eye contact and barely spoke to us. Cobb salad - blah. Meat tasted processed and just wasn't appealing. Most likely would not return. Have been to Uptown location and it's much better.
(3)Mark W.
I've been here 5 or 6 times. Consistently good service and food and great patio! Very nice large bar as well.
(4)Susan A.
The staff at this restaurant seem determined to see it fail. We arrived at 9 pm on a recent Wednesday night and were told by the hostess, who was mopping the floor that the kitchen was closed. There was another couple just behind us who were also disappointed by the news. We arrived at 9:50 pm on a Saturday night and the bulk of the staff were sitting at the bar which was awkward because we we're told that we could only sit at the bar and we had ten minutes to order our food. In the meantime, Shish and a couple other restaurants on the block are packed and busy - on both nights! Why did they put in this lovely patio only to close it at 10 pm (or earlier) on a Saturday night? Furthermore, the hostesses never even mention that it exists when they are seating you. We vowed not to go back. The food is good, but the service totally sucks.
(1)Tanya A.
I love the French Meadow in Minneapolis but the St Paul location was disappointing. The food is not as good but the service is what is more lacking. The food was not hot when it came out and hash browns not nearly as good as Minneapolis. I was there for breakfast on a weekday and it was not busy. The server rarely came by to fill coffee and the hostess seemed irritated when I asked to sit at a booth since the place was empty. I'll stick to the MPLS location which consistently has good food
(2)Maria J.
What a great new spot on Grand avenue! Huge menu for this type of restaurant, took me a few minutes to figure out what i wanted. The decor was eye-catching and beautiful and the employees are friendly and outgoing. You have to grab your own coffee from the bar (similar to a caribou/starbucks), you have to grab your own silverware and napkins, and water cup too. Once I figured some of those little things out, it was smooth sailing from there. Food took a little while to come out, but I took that as a sign that they're busy and still took the time to make sure quality was spot on. I had their croissant breakfast sandwich; it was fantastic! If they operated like a sit-down restaurant i bet their servers would make a lot of money! They pool their tips so we left them a couple bucks anyways. The bar looked like it had a great variety of craft beer and local brews too. Summits, Fultons, Grain Belt maybe? Crowd favorites around here! I will definitely be back and very much so recommend! I had a cold press coffee and the breakfast croissant (served with a salad) and paid between $12-$16.
(5)Charlie S.
The food was incredible, I got the spaghetti and pesto and I was amazing. My partner got the city Cobb and she said that it was one of the best cobbs. The only bad thing was the acoustics. We were sitting in a booth in the corner and could barely hear each other.
(4)Nora B.
I went there recently with my husband. The food was ok and the service was ok but the Hostess was the slowest I have ever seen. She said she wanted to wait a few minutes to seat us (& everyone else in the long line) to give the waitress more time. What difference is it to the waitress if we're sitting down comfortably rather than standing next to some people that are trying to eat their dinner? ???
(3)Jess R.
The only good thing about this place was the coffee. I came here for lunch with my friend after hearing how amazing the Uptown place was and I sat there for an hour while she ate her lunch and I waited for mine, which never arrived. We asked about my meal on three separate occasions and was told each time it would be out right away, it never came back. Even after knowing I had an issue, not one person came over to the table to double check that it arrived. We had to ask for a refund because I had an appointment to make and couldn't wait for my lunch any longer. After talking to someone who works in the service industry about my experience, he told me how he trained at either this or the Uptown location and what he saw was disgusting, he quit that night. The expo line was out of control, he had to run it as a newbie. Waiters were dropping receipts on the ground and picking it up and placing it on top of food. The kitchen was unsanitary. They pride themselves as serving organic food and he saw a number of food items, including milk, which were local but not organic. A waitress told him her tips go through a separate company, where they mail them back to her in a check, and she had been there for a few months and hadn't received any of her tips via check. When complained to management, they said it wasn't their problem. After my experience and hearing what my friend said, I will never go back to either location and I advise caution (food borne illnesses) to those of you who do go.
(1)E W.
I've enjoyed French Meadow bread before, and had a nice meal at their restaurant at the airport, so I was quite excited when they decided to open in Mac-Groveland at the site of the dearly departed Coffee News. A lot of the reviews here mention service problems, and, when I went today, there were none. We had a really nice and helpful server. But the food..... meh. It's not hard to make a Tempeh Reuben - I've done it myself. This one was had barely any aioli on it. The tempeh was supposed to be marinated and grilled, but appeared to have been taken out of the package and dropped on a grill just long enough to have one faint char mark. The sauerkraut , though pleasantly crisp, had hardly any flavor to it. I don't really mind paying $11 for a sandwich sometimes, but it should taste at least comparable to something I would throw together at home. My friend had a Mediterranean wrap and said that it was utterly boring and not up to what he would make at home, either. The high point was the French fries, which were thick and nicely browned. (I preferred the delicious garlic fries that Coffee News used to serve, alas.) We didn't try any desserts, and I'd imagine that would be their best thing. So, I guess I'll give it another try some time but, given the sad experiences a lot of reviewers seem to have had, I'm not that optimistic.
(2)Kaylynn R.
On a slow Monday evening, my husband and I received scattered service from a waitress who lectured me on the difference between not liking something and "real" food allergies. After paying full price for food I could not eat, a lecture was the last bite of an unpleasant, under cooked, over priced meal. At least serve the wine before the seconded course. I will not be back. And no I don't want a cookie.
(1)Debi S.
Another fabulous meal! We had vegans, vegetarians, and carnivores all at the same table. Everyone was happy, everyone loved the quality of the food, and the selection of local fare is amazing!
(5)sara w.
I went here shortly after it opened and had reasonably good food, but it has gone downhill drastically since. Or maybe I just got lucky the first time. My last meal was a turkey burger (recommended by my waitress). It was on a dry bun and the mild turkey flavor was overpowered by dried thyme. I actually thought the bun was moldy when I took the first bite. Previous visits were just as bad. Sad, clunky salads, dry bread, overcooked burgers. It is almost like they want show you that healthy food shouldn't taste good. I really hope they shake up the kitchen and management soon, especially since they have another location in Mpls that is actually good. Lots of bad reviews here, but it seems like they either don't read them or don't believe them.
(1)Rhonda G.
I was shocked at the depth of this building and their use of space. It's kind of L-shaped, and the decor is lovely. The stools are comfortable and not too high. The bathrooms are cold and it's hard to adjust water. In the middle is the filtered ice water, and you aren't in anyone's way. Jennifer S. and I met for lunch, and I hope we do often. I got the tuna melt, it was delicious, and the sourdough bread had a nice crunch to it. The side salad was scant in size and dressing, more of a token salad. A flaw when I walked in was empty tables were not wiped down. You'd never see that in the other place. Some of the beverages are in an open cooler, but not the type that will keep them cool for long, I hope they offer ice. Not sure if they have pop on tap or not, I like the water that much. I tried a sample of coleslaw, it needs more flavor, oil, or something. I actually came there to pick up my favorite bread. Shocked that they didn't have it, stunned when I was told they might not. Are you ready? Reason, they might not want to compete with Breadsmith. What! Let's use some logic. If you haven't been there, you most likely aren't interested, and never will. They have been around several years.They sell entirely different styles of bread. If you are truly concerned about competition, would you put a restaurant on the same block as Shish and Grand Central? The bread is FM signature, this would be just wrong to your customers. I hope that's the people you care about the most.
(4)Katherine S.
We had a lovely breakfast sitting outside on the quaint patio. Both our meals (breakfast quesadilla and french toast) were delicious, as was the coffee. Glad French Meadow moved in town!
(5)melissa p.
After hearing much buzz about the opening of French Meadow on Grand, my book club decided to meet there on Sunday 4-13-14. Big mistake. Had a HORRIBLE experience. I sent an email directly to the manager at French Meadow on 4-17-14 and have yet to hear any response back. Poor service while there followed by poor service afterwards. Will not be going back!
(1)Kari L.
I went here with a group of 7. We quickly found seats got menus and had water delivered. We found it pretty loud and hard to hear each other's conversations. The food was delicious and the espresso drinks were nice. I had to send my order back due to cheese being included in the meal when I told the waiter no cheese, no dairy, I am allergic. I am glad I checked this out before eating. When I got my food correctly served it was wonderful! I would go back and when I do I will be overtly annoying about my dairy allergy so it is clear. The cleaned our plates quickly and were very accommodating in taking separate checks. The 3 stars are because of the noise level and having to send my food back.
(3)Jenny C.
Great, organic food. Clean and healthy and great gluten free options. Service left something to be desired though.
(4)Zivar Y.
i arrived in minnesota for a visit and went straight to french meadow for a late lunch with my mom (2pm). we were starving and the restaurant was empty. we looked on the patio which was also empty and decided to return in doors because of lack of shade. our host sat us and server came right away. my mom ordered a veggie burger and i ordered a side salad and single egg. we waited and waited some more. 40 minutes later i flagged down our waitress and she said the patio was full (um, i was out there and it wasn't) and the kitchen was backed up. it would be just a few more minutes. okay. then our host came over and had another excuse about giving waitress too many people in station. huh? so odd. different stories and absolutely no food on table yet. around ten minutes later my mom's veggie burger came out cold and my side salad was fine. my egg was still waiting to be fried, apparently 'they did it wrong'. we were so exhausted and hungry that we just accepted her excuse. we left feeling disappointed. never again.
(2)J P.
Don't have high expectations compared to the Minneapolis location which is way better. You would think the food would be somewhat similar but it wasn't at all. I ordered the spaghetti and pesto and it was bland and they forgot to put the chicken in it. I had to go back and ask for it. Also I ordered a latte which took forever, there was only one person in front of me and it took about 10 minutes to finally get my drink. Also the person I talked to on the phone was SO rude to me, I asked if they ad wifi yet so I could come in and get a coffee and work on a project but he told me Sure if I could get a seat.. Umm okay. Not a fan of this place.
(1)Travis P.
Loving the Uptown location, I was excited a location was coming in Saint Paul. However, this location disappoints. I've tried it twice, both times being disappointed by the service and food. The food service is just slow and uncoordinated. The first time, we saw one order circling the dining room trying to find where it went. The table across from us was asked if it was theirs three times, and they had boxes in front of them. The steak I had the first time was too salty and didn't have a great flavor. And I was given a butter knife when I asked for a steak knife. The next time, I ordered a burger. I ordered it medium rare, and it came well done. The bun was pretty dry as well. The lemonade was pretty bland, and apparently the refills were not free (which the server did not mention). They dropped the food off without asking if we needed anything else when we clearly needed refills and had no ketchup for the fries (when she did bring it after we asked for it, she dropped off a Heinz bottle with the seal still on). I asked for a side of blue cheese dressing, and it tasted rancid. When I asked if that was really the blue cheese, the server answered that's what they told her and walked away. The server never asked how anything was, and she seemed to act like we were just an inconvenience. We then went next door to get a dessert because the service and food were so disappointin
(1)Natalie S.
Disappointed that since they have opened, quality of food and service has gone down hill. Take the hashbrowns this morning - they were more like flavorless boiled riced potatoes - yes, riced - that had been thrown on the griddle to brown them up. Did not even eat them as they were not worth the carbs. A couple of weeks ago, the eggs were cold on the quesadilla, but not the cheese. How? And service, meh. Hit or miss. Are they having a service to table ratio issue? Everyone seems like they are running around TOO much. Sorry to say this because I was so happy to see something added to this end of Grand Ave. since everyone is SO against bringing in more biz down here. Come on, please get better.
(2)Kim M.
I won't have this as a go-to venue for lunch. Better for morning coffee.
(3)St. P.
We wanted to love this place as we live in the neighborhood and have had wonderful experiences at the Uptown location. This was our third time at the St. Paul location and will likely be our last. The service was horrible during our visit last week. We had to remind the server 3 times about the beer we had ordered. The manager slapped down our salads (that left something to be desired) just minutes after we placed our order, before our beverages had even arrived. The place wasn't busy. The highlight of the evening is when the server took my beer before I had even finished it. When I mentioned politely to her that I wasn't finished with it, she didn't bother to bring it back to me. She just said, "Thanks for letting me know." And when we provided feedback to the manager afterwards, the manager said, "Oh, I would have loved to comp something for you." Then she sent us on our way. What a disappointing experience. We will be taking our business elsewhere.
(1)L V.
I agree with some of the other reviewers on here that this place has potential, but doesn't quite live up to expectations. At least it didn't for me. My fiancé and I saw the new location on Grand and since we live close, decided to walk down and try it this morning. We have been to the lyndale/uptown location frequently, and love it. So i had the same expectations for this location as far as service, food quality, and atmosphere. Unfortunately, I don't feel like it lived up to any of these expectations. We walked in around 9am. The place wasn't very busy, and we wanted to sit outside. No biggie. Except, there's no waiter service outside-so we order our food at the counter and they bring it out to us. The people at the counter were not very friendly when explaining this to us. I mean, they weren't MEAN, it just wasn't the friendly outgoing personalities I expect morning restaurant to have, and how the heck am I supposed to know what to do if there's no signs or anything explaining the system? So, we order and go sit outside to wait. The food came out relatively quickly-and it was very good. No complaints there. The main reason I'm giving this place 2 stars out of a possible 5 is because of one employee. While we were eating, one of the girls who was behind the counter came outside and complained to another employee (or friend, couldn't tell) VERY loudly about how "horrible" the supervisor was. She went into this huge long story about how she did something and now the supervisor ignores her and it's so awkward omg why is she doing this to me yada yada yada. Just...soap opera situation. I felt bad for her friend. It was just rude. I HATE when employees complain about customers they've had or problems with the place they work at in front of customers. I understand being a waitress is sometimes a very difficult job. I get it. But I don't want to hear about it. I really, really don't. And I feel like as a paying customer, I shouldn't be subjected to a dose of petty drama with my bagel and cream cheese. I guess after all is said and done, It just put a bad taste in my mouth. I don't want to come back to a place that doesn't feel warm and welcoming, and I especially don't want to come back knowing that people don't get along working there. I don't know. I just left kind of shaking my head, like-she really didn't care that she complained about her job in front of me and my fiancé and 5 other customers. This place definitely has a weird vibe, and we probably won't be returning.
(2)